U.S. patent application number 17/646992 was filed with the patent office on 2022-04-28 for printer head for strand element printing.
The applicant listed for this patent is Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated. Invention is credited to Warren Jackson, Ping Mei, Steven E. Ready.
Application Number | 20220126598 17/646992 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-04-28 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20220126598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mei; Ping ; et al. |
April 28, 2022 |
Printer Head for Strand Element Printing
Abstract
A system and method of printing on a strand element with a
printer head. The printer head includes a conduit and a cavity
formed within the conduit, wherein the cavity is configured to
receive the strand element and pass the strand element from a first
end of the cavity to a second end of the cavity. The printer head
also includes a set of nozzles formed on the conduit and positioned
on a perimeter of the cavity around a first target location within
the cavity, wherein at least one of the nozzles is a fluid nozzle
configured to dispense a fluid, and at least one of the nozzles is
a vacuum nozzle configured to apply a vacuum force on the
cavity.
Inventors: |
Mei; Ping; (San Jose,
CA) ; Jackson; Warren; (San Francisco, CA) ;
Ready; Steven E.; (Langley, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated |
Palo Alto |
CA |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/646992 |
Filed: |
January 4, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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16296377 |
Mar 8, 2019 |
11247488 |
|
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17646992 |
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International
Class: |
B41J 3/407 20060101
B41J003/407; B41J 2/14 20060101 B41J002/14; B41J 2/045 20060101
B41J002/045; D06P 5/30 20060101 D06P005/30; D05C 11/24 20060101
D05C011/24 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for printing on a strand element, the apparatus
comprising: a printer head, the printer head comprising: a conduit;
a cavity formed within the conduit, the cavity configured to
receive the strand element and pass the strand element from a first
end of the cavity to a second end of the cavity; and a set of
nozzles positioned on a perimeter of the cavity around a first
target location within the cavity, wherein each nozzle in the set
of nozzles is positioned to aim at the first target location, and
the first target location corresponds to a location of a first
segment of the strand element when the strand element is positioned
within the cavity, wherein: at least one of the nozzles is
configured as a fluid nozzle configured to dispense a fluid; and at
least one of nozzles is configured as a vacuum nozzle to apply a
vacuum force on the cavity.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one fluid nozzle is
positioned opposite at least one vacuum nozzle on the perimeter of
the cavity such that the strand element passes between at least one
fluid nozzle and at least one vacuum nozzle.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one fluid nozzle is
configured to dispense the fluid in the form of a pressure-driven
meniscus.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a set of jet heads,
wherein each of the jet heads is in fluid communication with a
respective one of the fluid nozzles.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the jet heads is
configured to dispense fluid through a respective fluid nozzle in
the form of a continuous column of fluid extending radially inward
from a respective nozzle.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the jet heads is
configured to apply one of fluidic pressure, a magnetic field, and
ultrasonic acoustic pressure to form the continuous column of
fluid.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conduit is cylindrical in
shape.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each nozzle of the set of
nozzles is positioned radially about the cavity.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum supply
body, which includes a vacuum channel that applies the vacuum force
to the cavity through the vacuum nozzle.
10. A method for printing on a strand element, the method
comprising: providing a printer head, the printer head comprising:
a conduit; a cavity formed within the conduit; and a set of nozzles
formed on the conduit and positioned on a perimeter of the cavity,
wherein: at least one of the nozzles is configured as a fluid
nozzle configured to dispense a fluid; and at least one of nozzles
is configured as a vacuum nozzle to apply a vacuum force on the
cavity, applying the vacuum force on the cavity of the print head;
passing the strand element through the cavity of the printer head;
and dispensing the fluid from each of the fluid nozzles toward the
strand element within the cavity of the printer head.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one fluid nozzle is
positioned opposite at least one vacuum nozzle on the perimeter of
the cavity such that the strand element passes between at least one
fluid nozzle and at least one vacuum nozzle.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein fluid is drawn from at least
one fluid nozzle to the opposite side of the strand element by at
least one vacuum nozzle.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the fluid nozzle is configured
to dispense the fluid in the form of a pressure-driven
meniscus.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a set of jet heads,
wherein each of the jet heads is in fluid communication with a
respective one of the fluid nozzles.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the jet heads is
configured to dispense fluid through a respective fluid nozzle in
the form of a continuous column of fluid extending radially inward
from a respective nozzle.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the jet heads is
configured to apply one of fluidic pressure, a magnetic field, and
ultrasonic acoustic pressure to form the continuous column of
fluid.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the conduit is cylindrical in
shape.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein each nozzle of the set of
nozzles is positioned radially about the cavity.
19. The method of claim 10, wherein the printer head further
comprises a vacuum supply body, which includes a vacuum channel
that applies the vacuum force to the cavity through the vacuum
nozzle.
20. The method of claim 10, wherein the strand element is one of
the following: a thread, yarn, filament, wire, optic fiber,
microtube for fluid flow, cable, or rope.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This patent document is a continuation of and claims
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/296,377 filed Mar.
8, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Printers have long been used for a variety of applications,
with the most typical printers being utilized for printing ink on
sheets of two-dimensional paper. However, advancements in printing
technology (and inkjet printing technology, in particular) have
made printing on three-dimensional surfaces possible, including
printing on cylindrical objects.
[0003] More recently, mechanisms have been developed for inkjet
printing on individual strand elements such as, e.g., fabric
threads. Unlike conventionally dyed threads, inkjet thread printing
allows each thread to include multiple colors along its length.
However, colorizing a thread by way of inkjet printing has several
drawbacks. For example, as many threads consist of three-ply
twisted fibers bundled together, the overall diameter of the thread
can be quite large (e.g., 200 micrometers or more). However, the
ink droplets emitted from an inkjet printer are typically low in
volume (e.g., 10-15 picoliters), and thereby have droplet diameters
much smaller than the diameter of the thread itself. Furthermore,
the ink droplets are typically emitted from only one direction,
meaning that volume of ink emitted during inkjet printing is often
too low to fully coat and/or be fully absorbed into the thread.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a system capable of
printing on individual strand elements (e.g., threads) which
addresses the issues described above.
SUMMARY
[0005] According to an aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for
printing on a strand element is disclosed. The apparatus may
include a printer head. The printer head may include a conduit, and
a cavity formed within the conduit. The cavity may be configured to
receive the strand element and pass the strand element from a first
end of the cavity to a second end of the cavity. The printer head
may further include a first set of fluid nozzles formed on the
conduit and positioned on a perimeter of the cavity around a first
target location within the cavity. Each of the fluid nozzles in the
first set may be positioned to aim at the first target location.
The first target location may correspond to a location of a first
segment of the strand element when the strand element is positioned
within the cavity.
[0006] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an
apparatus for printing on a strand element is disclosed. The
apparatus may include a printer head. The printer head may have a
conduit and a cavity formed within the conduit. The cavity may be
configured to receive the strand element and pass the strand
element from a first end of the cavity to a second end of the
cavity. The printer head may also include a plurality of nozzles
formed on the conduit and positioned on a perimeter of the cavity.
Each of the nozzles may be positioned to aim in the direction of a
segment of the strand element passing through the cavity.
[0007] According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method for
printing on a strand element is disclosed. The method may include
providing a printer head, the printer head having a conduit, a
cavity formed within the conduit, and a plurality of fluid nozzles
formed on the conduit and positioned on a perimeter of the cavity
around a target location within the cavity, wherein each of the
fluid nozzles in is positioned to aim at the target location. The
method may also include passing the strand element through the
cavity of the printer head. Additionally, the method may include
dispensing fluid from each of the fluid nozzles in the direction of
the strand element within the cavity of the printer head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates an end cross-sectional view of a strand
element printer head in accordance with an aspect of the
disclosure;
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the strand
element printer head of FIG. 1 along line A-A;
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a multi-nozzle
printing plate in accordance with another aspect of the
disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a strand
element printer head in accordance with another aspect of the
disclosure; and
[0012] FIG. 5 depicts various embodiments of one or more electronic
devices for implementing the various methods and processes
described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] As used in this document, the singular forms "a," "an," and
"the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art. As used in this document, the
term "comprising" (or "comprises") means "including (or includes),
but not limited to." When used in this document, the term
"exemplary" is intended to mean "by way of example" and is not
intended to indicate that a particular exemplary item is preferred
or required.
[0014] In this document, when terms such "first" and "second" are
used to modify a noun, such use is simply intended to distinguish
one item from another, and is not intended to require a sequential
order unless specifically stated. The term "approximately," when
used in connection with a numeric value, is intended to include
values that are close to, but not exactly, the number. For example,
in some embodiments, the term "approximately" may include values
that are within +/-10 percent of the value.
[0015] When used in this document, terms such as "top" and
"bottom," "upper" and "lower", or "front" and "rear," are not
intended to have absolute orientations but are instead intended to
describe relative positions of various components with respect to
each other. For example, a first component may be an "upper"
component and a second component may be a "lower" component when a
device of which the components are a part is oriented in a first
direction. The relative orientations of the components may be
reversed, or the components may be on the same plane, if the
orientation of the structure that contains the components is
changed. The claims are intended to include all orientations of a
device containing such components.
[0016] The terms "electronic device", "computer", and "computing
device" refer to a device or system that includes a processor and
memory. Each device may have its own processor and/or memory, or
the processor and/or memory may be shared with other devices as in
a virtual machine or container arrangement. The memory will contain
or receive programming instructions that, when executed by the
processor, cause the electronic device to perform one or more
operations according to the programming instructions. Examples of
electronic devices include personal computers, servers, mainframes,
virtual machines, containers, mobile electronic devices such as
smartphones, Internet-connected wearables, tablet computers, laptop
computers, and appliances and other devices that can communicate in
an Internet-of-things arrangement. In a client-server arrangement,
the client device and the server are electronic devices, in which
the server contains instructions and/or data that the client device
accesses via one or more communications links in one or more
communications networks. In a virtual machine arrangement, a server
may be an electronic device, and each virtual machine or container
also may be considered an electronic device. In the discussion
below, a client device, server device, virtual machine or container
may be referred to simply as a "device" for brevity. Additional
elements that may be included in electronic devices will be
discussed below in the context of FIG. 5.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a printer head 10 configured for
printing directly on a single strand element 14 in accordance with
an aspect of the disclosure is illustrated. For the purposes of the
present disclosure, it is to be understood that the strand element
14 may include any twisted or non-twisted elongated material or
element such as, e.g., a thread, yarn, filament, wire, optic fiber,
microtube for fluid flow, rod, cable, rope, etc. In the
configuration shown in FIGS. 1-2, printer head 10 includes a
substantially cylindrical conduit 12, with the strand element 14
being able to pass longitudinally through the center of a cavity 15
formed in the conduit 12. While FIG. 1 illustrates conduit 12 as
being cylindrical, it is to be understood that the cross-sectional
shape of conduit 12 may be other, alternative shapes (e.g., square,
rectangular, elliptical, etc.).
[0018] In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIGS. 1-2, strand
element 14 is passed longitudinally through the conduit 12, with
conduit 12 remaining stationary as strand element 14 passes
therethrough. While not shown in FIGS. 1-2, it is to be understood
that the strand element 14 may be directed through the conduit 12
by any appropriate means, such as, e.g., a pair of automated
spools, etc. Additionally, the strand element 14 may move at any
appropriate speed through conduit 12 (e.g., 0.5 m/s, 20 m/s, etc.),
and the speed need not necessarily be constant. Alternatively, in
another embodiment, strand element 14 may be held stationary, with
conduit 12 controlled to move longitudinally along a predetermined
length of strand element 14.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of jet heads 16a-16h are
disposed radially around an exterior surface of conduit 12. While
not shown in FIGS. 1-2, each jet head 16a-16h may be fluidly
coupled to one or more fluid reservoirs such that one or more
fluids is capable of being supplied to the jet heads 16a-16h. In
accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, the fluid(s) may be
one or more colors of ink. However, it is to be understood that the
fluid delivered by each jet head 16a-16h may be dependent upon the
application and type of strand element 14 passing through cavity
15. For example, the fluid may be one or more colorant inks, one or
more insulating polymers, one or more protective coatings, etc.
[0020] Each jet head 16a-16h is positioned over and in fluid
communication with a respective nozzle 18a-18h formed through the
conduit 12, thereby enabling fluid to be delivered from each jet
head 16a-16h through a corresponding nozzle 18a-18h to the strand
element 14 within cavity 15, as will be described in further detail
below. While eight jet heads 16a-16h and eight nozzles 18a-18h are
radially disposed about conduit 12, it is to be understood that
more or fewer jet heads and/or nozzles may be utilized.
[0021] Referring still to FIGS. 1-2, each jet head 16a-16h is
configured to synchronously fire fluid in the direction of strand
element 14 such that the circumferential surface of strand element
14 receives fluid from multiple directions, which allows the fluid
to better coat and/or absorb into the strand element 14 at a
desired printing location. However, unlike previous inkjet thread
printing processes, which fire small droplets of ink in the
direction of the thread and/or fabric to be printed, printer head
10 may be configured to utilize jet heads 16a-16h to dispense fluid
through nozzles 18a-18h in the form of a pressure-driven meniscus
20a-20h.
[0022] A meniscus of a liquid is generally defined as a curve in
the upper surface of the liquid close to the surface of another
object and is typically caused by surface tension. However, a
meniscus may also be extended by the application of external
pressure, such as, e.g., fluidic pressure, magnetic fields (in the
case of magnetic fluids), and/or ultrasonic acoustic pressure to
the liquid. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2 of the
present disclosure, the jet heads 16a-16h may be configured to
apply pressure (e.g., fluidic pressure, ultrasonic acoustic
pressure, magnetic fields, etc.) to the fluid such that a meniscus
20a-20h in the form of a column of fluid extends radially inward
from a respective nozzle 18a-18h in the direction of a target
location at or substantially near an outer surface of the strand
element 14. Due to surface tension, the fluid in each meniscus
20a-20h does not disperse or otherwise form into small droplets,
but is instead maintained in a column-like form. Thus, as the
strand element 14 passes through the cavity 15, surfaces of the
strand element 14 may contact each meniscus 20a-20h, thereby
enabling the fluid from each meniscus 20a-20h to be wicked or
otherwise drawn onto (and into) the strand element 14 from multiple
directions.
[0023] As the column of fluid provided by each meniscus 20a-20h is
far greater in volume than droplets of fluid provided during
conventional inkjet printing, a greater amount of fluid may be
supplied to the strand element 14 at one time, sufficiently
allowing for the fluid to be soaked into (or coated onto) the
strand element 14. For example, the combined fluid volume provided
by the menisci 20a-20h may amount to about a nanoliter, whereas a
comparable volume of fluid provided during an inkjet printing
process may amount to tens of picoliters, which is generally not
sufficient to soak into a typical 200 .mu.m cotton thread,
particularly if the thread is moving through or past a printer head
at any notable rate of speed.
[0024] In order for the strand element 14 to come into contact with
each meniscus 20a-20h as the strand element 14 passes through
cavity 15 such that the fluid is transferred onto the strand
element 14, the distance between the outer surface of strand
element 14 and the nozzles 18a-18h must be sufficiently small. For
example, in one embodiment, the distance between the outer surface
of strand element 14 and the nozzles 18a-18h is 500 .mu.m or less,
and is preferably 200 .mu.m or less. This minimal distance may also
allow the capillary force of the strand element 14 moving within
the cavity 15 to draw the fluid from each meniscus 20a-20h onto the
strand element 14. However, it is to be understood that the
distance between the strand element and nozzle(s) may be larger or
smaller than that which is disclosed, and may depend upon the
diameter of the strand element, the size of the nozzle(s), the
pressure applied to form each meniscus, etc. Furthermore, the size
of the nozzle(s) may be determined based on the resonant frequency
needed to maintain the meniscus within the cavity of the printer
head at a sufficient depth so as to allow for fluid transfer onto
the strand element.
[0025] As noted above, one method of forming each meniscus 20a-20h
may be the application of ultrasonic acoustic pressure to the
fluid. In this method, also known as acoustic jetting, sound waves
are generated and focused toward the surface of a fluid pool in
order to emit a column of fluid in the form of a meniscus, with the
size of the column of fluid produced being at least partially a
function of different acoustic transducers with different center
frequencies (e.g., 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHz, etc.). For example, using
continuous acoustic radiation fields of about 3.5 kW/cm.sup.2
focused on a 300 .mu.m diameter portion of a fluid pool at 5 MHz, a
continuous column of fluid (i.e., a meniscus) can be generated by
the acoustic pressure. In the embodiment described above, this
column of fluid can then be used (either alone or in combination
with other columns of fluid) to saturate a strand element (e.g., a
thread). Furthermore, to discontinue the delivery of fluid to the
strand element, the acoustic pressure may simply be stopped, which
terminates the formation of the column of fluid. The surface
tension may then cause the meniscus to retract to the neutral
position, thereby interrupting the fluid flow into and/or onto the
strand element. However, it is to be understood that other methods
of forming each meniscus 20a-20h may also be utilized in accordance
with the disclosure, such as, e.g., applying surface acoustic
waves, lasers focused on the liquid surface, magnetic inks,
etc.
[0026] Next, referring to FIG. 3, a printing plate 30 in accordance
with another aspect of the disclosure is shown. Printing plate 30
includes a body 32, a channel 34 formed along a longitudinal length
of body 32, and a plurality of nozzles 36 formed through body 32
longitudinally along channel 34. As described above with respect to
FIGS. 1-2, a plurality of nozzles may be disposed radially about a
conduit so as to allow fluid to be directed toward a strand element
from multiple directions. However, with the configuration shown in
FIG. 3, not only may multiple nozzles be radially (or otherwise
outwardly) disposed around the strand element, but multiple nozzles
36 may also be disposed longitudinally within a channel 34 through
which a strand element (not shown) is configured to travel. With
this arrangement, fluid can be applied simultaneously along
different longitudinal portions of the strand element travelling
within channel 34. In some embodiments, the same fluid (e.g., the
same color ink) could be utilized within each nozzle 36, thereby
speeding the strand element printing process. In other embodiments,
different nozzles 36 along the longitudinal length of channel 34
may be configured to emit different fluids (e.g., different colored
inks, different) and/or different treatments, allowing the strand
element to simultaneously receive different fluids and/or
treatments as it passes through the channel 34.
[0027] For ease of illustration, only a single printing plate 30 is
shown in FIG. 3. However, it is to be understood that multiple
printing plates 30 may be combined so as to form a conduit with an
enclosed channel to surround the strand element passing through
channel 34 and to provide nozzles directed at the strand element
from multiple different directions. Furthermore, while printing
plate 30 having a plurality of nozzles 36 longitudinally disposed
thereon is shown, it is to be understood that a non-plate structure
could also include the plurality of longitudinally-spaced nozzles.
For example, the cylindrically-shaped conduit 12 described above
with respect to FIGS. 1-2 may be configured to include a plurality
of longitudinally-spaced nozzles along its length.
[0028] Next, referring to FIG. 4, a printer head 40 in accordance
with another aspect of the disclosure is shown. Unlike printer head
10 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-2, printer head 40 is
configured to dispense fluid (e.g., ink) toward a strand element
(e.g., a thread) by combining the discharge of a fluid meniscus
through a nozzle on one side of a strand element and a vacuum
sucking action through a nozzle on the opposite side of the strand
element. Specifically, the printer head 40 includes a fluid supply
body 44 on one side of a cavity 43 and a vacuum supply body 52 on
an opposite side of the cavity 43. A strand element 42 is
configured to pass through the cavity formed by the combination of
the fluid supply body 44 and the vacuum supply body 52, which at
least partially surround the strand element 42.
[0029] The fluid supply body 44 includes a fluid inlet 48, which
may be coupled to one or more external fluid reservoirs (not
shown). Fluid delivered through fluid inlet 48 may travel through a
channel 47 formed in fluid supply body 44 until it reaches a nozzle
46. Similar to the embodiments described above with respect to
FIGS. 1-2, a meniscus 50 (i.e., a column of fluid) may extend from
the nozzle 46 into the cavity 43 upon the application of external
pressure at a pressure control location 49. The external pressure
may be in the form of, e.g., fluidic pressure, magnetic field,
ultrasonic acoustic pressure, or any other suitable form of
pressure. In this way, the meniscus 50 of fluid may contact a
surface of strand element 42 as it passes through the cavity 43 so
as to allow a greater volume of fluid to be applied to a surface of
the strand element 42 than is possible with conventional inkjet
printing methods.
[0030] However, in addition to fluid being passed to the strand
element 42 by contact with the meniscus 50, in some embodiments,
printer head 40 further includes the vacuum supply body 52, which
includes a vacuum channel 53 to apply a vacuum force to the cavity
43 through nozzle 54. Thus, not only is fluid applied to the strand
element 42 by contact with the meniscus 50, but fluid is drawn by
vacuum source to the opposite side of the strand element 42,
thereby resulting in uniform distribution of fluid around the
strand element 42. In this way, printer head 40 need not
necessarily include the jetting of fluid from a plurality of
directions surrounding a strand element, but may instead rely at
least partially on vacuum force to enable fluid to coat and/or
absorb into a strand element.
[0031] While not shown in detail, it is to be understood that the
printer head 10 of FIGS. 1-2 and/or the printer head 40 of FIG. 4
may be coupled to, and controlled by, any appropriate electronic
control system. Accordingly, the pressure and/or vacuum force of
the respective printer heads may be controlled such that the fluid
meniscus projecting from one or more nozzles may be turned on or
off as a strand element passes through the printer head, applying
fluid to the strand element at only desired times and for desired
durations. FIG. 5 depicts an example of internal hardware that may
be included in any of the electronic components of the system, such
as a local or remote computing device in the system, or the user's
smartphone. An electrical bus 60 serves as an information highway
interconnecting the other illustrated components of the hardware.
Processor 62 is a central processing device of the system, such as
a microprocessor or microcontroller, configured to perform
calculations and logic operations required to execute programming
instructions.
[0032] As used in this document and in the claims, the terms
"processor" and "processing device" may refer to a single processor
or any number of processors in a set of processors that
collectively perform a set of operations, such as a central
processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a remote
server, or a combination of these.
[0033] The terms "memory," "memory device," "data store," "data
storage facility" and the like each refer to a non-transitory
device on which computer-readable data, programming instructions or
both are stored. Except where specifically stated otherwise, the
terms "memory," "memory device," "data store," "data storage
facility" and the like are intended to include single device
embodiments, embodiments in which multiple memory devices together
or collectively store a set of data or instructions, as well as
individual sectors within such devices. Read only memory (ROM),
random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard drives and other
devices capable of storing electronic data constitute examples of
memory devices 64. A memory device may include a single device or a
collection of devices across which data and/or programming
instructions are stored.
[0034] An optional display interface 68 may permit information from
the bus 60 to be displayed on a display device 71 in visual,
graphic or alphanumeric format. An audio interface and audio output
(such as a speaker) also may be provided. Communication with
external devices may occur using various communication devices 70
such as a wireless antenna, an RFID tag and/or short-range or
near-field communication transceiver, each of which may optionally
communicatively connect with other components of the device via one
or more communication system. The communication device 70 may be
configured to be communicatively connected to a communications
network, such as the Internet, a local area network or a cellular
telephone data network.
[0035] The hardware may also include a user interface sensor 73
that allows for receipt of data from input devices 72 such as a
keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touchscreen, a touch pad, a remote
control, a pointing device, a video input device and/or an audio
input device. Data also may be received from an image capturing
device 66, such of that a scanner or camera.
[0036] The features and functions described above, as well as
alternatives, may be combined into many other different systems or
applications. Various alternatives, modifications, variations or
improvements may be made by those skilled in the art, each of which
is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed
embodiments.
* * * * *